"Over
the top" appears to be taking over. A recent survey
released by Credit
Suisse indicates that over-the-top TV and content delivery
options like Netflix,
along with Hulu and the Microsoft
Xbox 360 are becoming strong contenders in the television
viewership market.

After surveying an
estimated 250 Netflix subscribers, Credit Suisse found that nearly 40
percent of Netflix subscribers between the ages of 25 and 34, and
almost 30 percent of subscribers between 18 and 24 used Netflix
streaming services instead of cable or satellite television.

At
a media conference this week, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg predicted
that cable is headed in the same direction as the wire line telephone
business, according toAll
Things Digital.

"Young
people are pretty smart. They’re not going to pay for something
they don’t need to,” he said. Seidenburg added that “Over the
top" is going to be a big issue in the future for the cable
industry. I think cable has some life left in its model… but
that it is going to get disintermediated over the next several
years."

Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis obviously
disagrees. "When
people say there's cord cutting, we really just don't see it,"
said Angelakis. "And when we think about cord cutting or the
flavor of the day, we look at that as primarily competition to our
VOD business, not to our core business."

In
addition to the rise of over the top play options like Netflix and
Hulu, Google TV and Apple's revamped TV service are expected later
this year. It is rumored that Amazon may also have plans for a
similar product coming soon.

"Well, there may be a reason why they call them 'Mac' trucks! Windows machines will not be trucks." -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer